Creating Reward Systems for your Tutor Students

Wet Leaf Pile (Photo credit: Hkuchera)

We’re on fall break this week, can’t believe how quick the year had flown by. Today we’re going to take a break from all of the work we’ve been doing (you have been doing the work), and talk some about fun.

You’re goal as a tutor should be to help your students succeed. Each student can be a little different. One of the hardest things I’ve found is giving them the motivation to go from a C to a B (or A). Some students aren’t really motivated, but you can make your tutor session much more fun.

Today we’re going to talk about rewards. Some of you may be skeptical, as with all things in your tutor business you should test things out first. Test it on one student, if it works then you can use it for your other students. I think you may be surprised by how well it does work.

Rewards – choosing a reward

Choose rewards based on your students. Each student will probably like different things. The more expensive the reward is, the less profit you’ll make, that goes without saying. But if you’re going to do this, then you want to have a true reward. For high school students, I normally use Itunes or Amazon gift cards. I normally don’t go more than 10% of the total bill for the student. So a student I tutor 20 times during the semester and $20 each session, then the most I would want to spend is $40.00.

Some students aren’t motivated at all by things, so again you’ll want to take each student, find out what they really like and then create a reward just for them.

Make sure you speak with the parent and child about the rewards. Make sure it is something the parents approve of and something the student would use. If it’s not something either of them don’t like then try something different.

Setting the Rules –

I use a points system, it just makes things easier. I’ve included some links in the Tool of the week section. So the example we used above there would be 400 points. Each point is worth ten cents of their gift card. Dividing the 400 points into tutor sessions, they can earn a maximum of 20 points each session. You want to make the student aware of how they earn points.

So for my sessions – total of 40 points max.

5 points – did their assignment
5 points – did their homework
5 points – listen / work hard during the tutor session
5 points – learn something new

Explain to the student also how points can be taken away, and give them a few different ways to make up points they may miss out on.

Give them a firm date of when you’ll give them their prize.

Tracking Things – see the tools section below

Party time –

Normally the last session before the Christmas or summer break. I have also had a skate party for students earning over 75% of the points. Again make sure it’s ok with the parents, and the students would enjoy it.

Any questions please let us know.

Inspiration –  Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.

Napoleon Hill

Tool  of the Week – Reward tools.

http://www.reading-rewards.com/

http://www.kidpointz.com/points-system

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Hope you have a wonderful day.